Court official admits cash fraud

Pamela Davison was employed at Sunderland Magistrates' Court

An official at Sunderland Magistrates' Court has pleaded guilty to a fraud involving £19,000.

Pamela Davison, 54, a principal administration manager from Mann Crescent in Murton, was charged with misconduct in public office.

At Preston Crown Court she admitted opening and controlling a building society account funded by public cash.

Sentencing will be on 11 June, and she was granted bail. Charges against two other clerks were dismissed.

Due to the nature of the defendant's job, the case was heard outside the north-east of England.

Wilful neglect

Preston Crown Court heard that Davison did not declare the Bradford & Bingley account, in the name of Magistrates' Court & Clerks to Justice, which she operated between April 2001 and November 2005.

She also pleased guilty to falsely claiming 20 hours in overtime work.

One further count of misconduct, one of false accounting, and two allegations of furnishing false information were allowed to remain on file.

Crown Prosecution guidelines for magistrates say the misconduct in a public office charge refers to public officers who wilfully neglect to perform their duty or wilfully misconduct themselves, amounting to an abuse of the public's trust.

Charges of misconduct against chief clerk Stephen Rowbottom, 49, from Wansdyke in Morpeth, and ex-deputy clerk Edmond Cleary, 50, from Oxclose in Washington, Tyne and Wear were dismissed.